Somalia: Somali President Asked Not to Sign 'Deadly' Media Bill Into Law

press release

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as "Farmajo," not to sign Somalia's newly approved media bill into law because it would open the way for criminal prosecutions for ordinary press offences and would undermine efforts by the authorities in the past year to defend press freedom.

Somali journalists will have good reason to be worried if Farmajo signs the media bill, which had been debated for the past two years. The final version, which was sneaked through the federal parliament, has many vague and draconian provisions.They include article 3, which makes it illegal for journalists to be compelled by threat or force - for example, by political or armed actors - to publish "information which conflicts with the interests of the country, security, the economy, politics and society."

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